Solar Zodiac
Long before humanity crawled forth from their primitive caves and began building cities, before the waxing and waning of the dwarven and elven kingdoms, the World Tree grew and flourished, spreading its branches across existence. Parasitic entities and old, dark beings that even the gods feared soon saw the tree reaching ever closer to their dark beyond, and began to slither across its branches, happily devouring the mortal worlds they discovered. To protect the many worlds and races within Yggdrasil’s branches, gods, daeva, and primordial beings of earth and fire joined their powers together and wove protective runes with a life and will all their own, endowing them with an eternal purpose to shine above the mortal worlds, helping protect them from the hungry entities waiting beyond the edges of existence. The mortals would come to know these runes intimately, seeing them shining in the skies above their world in familiar and comforting shapes known as constellations. Zodiacs are drawn from the ranks of astronomers, astrologists, sailors, and others who study the night skies to find their way or make their living, following the guiding light of the constellations. Occasionally such individuals experience a phenomenon known as celestial transcendence, a process whereby study and exposure to the constellations transforms a mortal being into a channel for the power and will of the constellations. Even more rarely, the constellations themselves will choose such a being in response to intrusions by the Great Old Ones, who seek ever to devour the light and life of the worlds sheltered within the branches of the World Tree. Once a being has undergone the process of celestial transcendence, they begin to learn how to manifest celestial spirits into physical forms, sustaining them with their own lifeforce. Those who learn to control and direct the powers of these celestial spirits are known as zodiacs. Role: '''The zodiac’s role in combat is generally determined by their orbit, and their choice of constellations. Zodiacs who choose the solar orbit are often powerful warriors in their own right, girding themselves in weapon and armor constellations to fight in the thick of battle. Zodiacs who choose the lunar orbit have stronger magical abilities but are weaker combatants, preferring to use their veil abilities to support a powerful champion constellation. '''Alignment: A zodiac can be of any alignment, but often find their attitudes strongly influenced by the constellations they choose to manifest regularly. Starting Wealth: '''4d6x10 gp (average 140 gp). '''Hit die: d8. Class Skills: The zodiac’s class skills are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str) , and Use Magic Device (Cha). Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Int modifier. Class Abilities Proficiencies Zodiacs are proficient with simple weapons, martial weapons, and with light armor, medium armor, heavy armor, and shields (except tower shields). Constellations (Su) All zodiacs learn to call on the constellations for power starting at 1st level. Constellations may manifest as a weapon, piece of armor, or other equipment, or as powerful champions ready to fight at the zodiac’s side; the ways a given constellation can manifest are listed in the constellation’s entry. Constellations manifested as equipment are tangible items that occupy a slot just like a piece of magical equipment (so a constellation that manifests as a pair of boots cannot be worn with another pair of magical boots). Regardless of which manifestation option the zodiac chooses, a given constellation cannot be manifested more than once (for example, a zodiac who manifested the armor option of the Crab constellation could not also manifest the Crab’s champion option). Champion constellations can always understand the zodiac’s commands and do their best to carry out any orders they are given. In the event the zodiac is conscious but unable to give a command, the champion will use its best judgement to take whatever actions seem most beneficial to the zodiac. The zodiac always summons the same version of a champion after they have manifested them for the first time; any feats, skill points, or other variable options are fixed and cannot be changed once selected, though most champions can still gain levels or improve as animal companions based on the zodiac’s class level (treating the zodiac’s class levels as druid levels when determining animal companion advancement) and receive all appropriate benefits for doing so. Manifesting a constellation is a standard action that requires the zodiac to devote a portion of their life force to sustaining the constellation. When a zodiac manifests a constellation, they take an amount of essence burn equal to the constellation’s essence cost (described in the constellation’s entry). This essence burn cannot be healed or recovered in any way as long as the constellation is manifested, though it begins to recover normally once the constellation is dismissed (a free action). Constellations are automatically dismissed if the zodiac loses consciousness for any reason, or if the constellation’s hit points are reduced to zero, but otherwise remain indefinitely. A constellation that is reduced to zero or fewer hit points is automatically dismissed; if the constellation is manifested again before 24 hours have passed, it appears with only 1 hit point, though it can be healed or repaired normally. Constellations that are dismissed normally recover all of their hit points, any ability damage or drain, and are cured of all negative conditions as long as at least 1 hour passes between each manifestation; otherwise they appear with whatever injuries and conditions they had when they were dismissed. Constellations from opposing elements (as described in the constellations section) impose additional costs when manifesting them. Once a constellation has been manifested, it also acts as an essence receptacle and can be invested with essence just like a veil. The benefits for investing essence in a constellation are described in its entry, and the normal limitations for essence capacity apply. (Zodiac Constellations can be found here) Stellar Swordsman When wielding the weapon form of a constellation, the zodiac uses his class level in place of his base attack bonus when determining his bonus to hit, the effects of feats that rely on base attack bonus (such as Power Attack), and any other benefits or effects related to his base attack bonus. Bonus Feats The zodiac gains a bonus feat at 2nd level and every even level thereafter, chosen from feats listed as either akashic, combat, or teamwork feats, or the Shape Veil feat; the zodiac must meet the prerequisites for these feats, but he treats his zodiac level as his base attack bonus (in addition to base attack bonuses gained from other classes and racial Hit Dice) for the purpose of qualifying for these feats. Solar zodiacs who take the Shape Veil feat use Charisma as their veilweaving modifier. Improved Essence Capacity At 3rd level and every six levels thereafter, the zodiac’s skill at investing essence improves and the total essence capacity of all his essence receptacles increases by 1. Celestial Lord (Su) Starting at 5th level, the zodiac becomes more adept at influencing and commanding the constellations and reduces the essence penalty for manifesting constellations with opposing elements from 3 to 2. In addition, for each additional constellation the zodiac manifests with a matching element, he and his champions deal 2 additional points of elemental damage with their weapon attacks and any veil abilities they possess that deal hit point damage (so a zodiac who had manifested both the Archer and the Lion would deal 2 additional points of fire damage with his attacks, as would the Lion and Archer champion forms); fire element constellations add fire damage, air element constellations add electricity damage, water constellations add cold damage, and earth constellations add acid damage. Stargazing (Su) At 7th level the zodiac’s study of the heavenly bodies gives him prophetic insights into upcoming events. A number of times per day equal to half his class level (rounded down), the zodiac may use an immediate action to add 1d6 to an ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check. The zodiac must use this ability after he has rolled the initial check but before he learns its consequences (for example, a zodiac’s player making a saving throw could wait to see the result of his d20, but must declare his use of this ability before the GM reveals whether the result is sufficient to succeed). At 13th level, the zodiac may roll a d8 instead of a d6 when using this ability. At 19th level, he may instead roll a d10. Celestial Ruler From 11th level on, the zodiac’s ability to command the constellations and mitigate their petty squabbles increases even further, reducing the essence penalty for manifesting constellations with opposing elements from 2 to 1. In addition, the zodiac may now count constellations from complimentary elements (fire and air, or earth and water) as though they were both the same element and their original element when determining the benefits of his celestial lord class feature; for example, a zodiac with both the Lion (fire) and Twins (air) constellations manifested would deal an additional 2 points of fire damage and an additional 2 points of electricity damage with his and his champions’ weapon attacks and veil abilities. Celestial Emperor At 17th level the zodiac’s command of the constellations is unquestioned, and he need no longer pay an essence penalty for manifesting constellations with opposing elements. In addition, if the zodiac has a weapon or armor constellation manifested, he gains immunity to damage of the associated energy type (air - electricity, earth - acid, fire - fire, water cold). If the zodiac has a champion manifested, his champion gains immunity to the energy type associated with their element. For example, a zodiac wearing the Crab’s armor and wielding the Archer’s bow would have immunity to cold and fire damage; if a zodiac with this class feature manifested the Lion as a champion to fight for him, the Lion would have immunity to fire. Astrological Mastery Solar zodiacs who reach 20th level are nearly unstoppable on the battlefield, overflowing with life energy and power. The zodiac becomes immune to death effects and ability drain, and recovers ability damage twice as fast. In addition, any weapon, armor, or equipment constellations the zodiac has manifested cannot be disarmed or sundered. Favored Class Bonuses * Aasimar: '''Any champion the aasimar manifests gains a +1/4 bonus to a single saving throw of the aasimar’s choice, chosen at the time the champion is manifested. * '''Elf: '''Champion constellations you manifest gain +1 hit point. Weapon, equipment, and armor constellations you manifest gain +1 hardness. * '''Dwarf: Gain a +1/2 bonus to to CMD against bull rush and trip attempts while wearing a constellation’s armor form, and a +1/2 bonus to CMD against disarm and sunder attempts while wielding a constellation’s weapon form. * '''Gnome: '''Increase any hit point healing granted to your champion constellations by your veil effects or other akashic abilities by 1 point. * '''Halfling: '''Reduce the essence cost to manifest the champion form of the Water Bearer by 1/4 points of essence (this reduction only applies when you can reduce the cost by a full point of essence; for example an 8th level halfling zodiac who took this bonus at every level would only pay an essence cost of 10 to manifest the Water Bearer, but a 7th level zodiac would only reduce the cost by 1 point). * '''Human: '''Gain +1/5 point of essence. * '''Ifrit: '''Add 1 point of fire damage to all attacks you make with the weapon form of a fire element constellation, and to the natural attacks and weapons of any fire element champion you manifest. * '''Orc: '''Deal 1 additional point of damage with all attacks made with the weapon form of any constellation you have manifested. * '''Oread: '''Add 1 point of acid damage to all attacks you make with the weapon form of an earth element constellation, and to the natural attacks and weapons of any earth element champion you manifest. * '''Sylph: '''Add 1 point of electricity damage to all attacks you make with the weapon form of an air element constellation, and to the natural attacks and weapons of any air element champion you manifest. * '''Undine: '''Add 1 point of cold damage to all attacks you make with the weapon form of a water element constellation, and to the natural attacks and weapons of any water element champion you manifest. Category:Source: Classes of the Lost Spheres: Zodiac